Eight shots behind Perez after 36 holes, the 41-year-old Stricker shot 61 during the third round to move into contention, and his sparkling play on the fourth day gave him a three-shot lead over Perez in the 90-hole tournament.

On another of what has been a string of warm, windless days in the desert, Stricker reached 33-under 255, bettering the tour's 72-hole mark of 31 under set by Ernie Els in winning the 2003 Mercedes Classic. Stricker's 61-62 also was a tour low for consecutive rounds. Mark Calcavecchia set the record by shooting 60-64 in the 2001 Phoenix Open, and Perez tied it with his 61-63 start in the Hope.

As a yardstick of how low the scoring has been in the always par-as-a-memory Hope, the cut came at 15 under, lowest ever for a tour event. Jesper Parnevik, the 2000 champion, shot 61 in the fourth round and missed the cut by a stroke.

Tommy Armour holds the record for lowest 72-hole score, winning the 2003 Texas Open on a par 70 course at 254, which was 26 under. Joe Durant set the tour mark for 90 holes when he won the 2001 Hope at 36 under, a 324 total.

Perez played at Bermuda Dunes and had his second consecutive 67, leaving him alone in second at 258. Bubba Watson (63), Robert Garrigus (66) and Vaughn Taylor (68) were tied for third, seven shots back at 26 under.

► Qatar Masters: At Doha, Qatar, Spain's Alvaro Quiros shot an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen into the final round of the Qatar Masters.

The long-hitting Quiros had a 16-under 200 total on the Doha Golf Club course. Oosthuizen, three strokes ahead at the start of play, shot a 69. Dutchman Maarten Lafeber (66) and Sweden's Henrik Stenson (66) were 12 under. Sergio Garcia (67) was 10 under.

► HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup: At Rio de Janeiro, Catriona Matthew, the 39-year-old Scot five months pregnant with her second child, shot a 3-under 69 to take a two-stroke lead after the first round of the HSBC LPGA Brazil Cup exhibition tournament.

Kristy McPherson birdied the final two holes for a 71, and Brazil's Angela Park opened the 36-hole, 15-player event at Itanhanga Golf Club with a 72. Brazil's Candy Hanneman was five strokes back at 74 along with Allison Fouch.